Annette Pompa

My heart journey started September of 2010. Cooling down from a run, I remember thinking, ‘I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t run.’ I would find out.

“That night, fatigue set in. Within three days, I was short of breath. I couldn’t read to my kids. My heart felt painfully tight. Life halted. I was no longer active or teaching.”

It took a year to get help. I was put through the “million dollar work up.” My BP and heart rate were low. I could barely get out of bed. Few believed I had heart disease. My blood work and most of my testing was stellar. I was fit and 41. I felt so tired by the simplest tasks. Searching for answers, I saw some similarities on a medical info site for many conditions. Same symptoms. Some of them were already diagnosed with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction. I traveled out of town for diagnosis. Then, luckily found a good local cardiologist. Once I started nitro, I began to find some stability.

I love to help others find their own best path in managing these often misunderstood areas of vascular care.

• My local WomenHeart group was helpful in me seeing support value; joined in 2011
• 2012 began a Facebook private worldwide support group and info page: Non-Obstructive CAD: Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction & Spasms
• I have written patient articles for Scope, a Patient perspective blog; Stanford University
• I volunteer at local American Heart Association to share awareness
• I advocate at Heart Health events